How to Tint Exterior Latex Paint

by Kristy Robinson

Over 256 shades of paint are created from three basic primary colors.

Exterior latex paints are ideal for outdoor home improvement projects because the paint is easy clean up and apply. Unlike oil-based paints, latex paints dry quickly and clean up with water instead of hazardous solvents. Because of the water content, latex paint could cause bare wood grain to swell or rust to form on metal surfaces without proper surface preparation and use of appropriate primers. The ideal time to paint in the Bay area is between May and October when the temperature is consistently between 60 to 85 degrees and the humidity is less than 70 percent.

1

Shake the paint can thoroughly to remix any separated ingredients. Even fresh paint from the store could have some separation after sitting on a shelf.

2

Open the paint can lid and scrape all the paint from the lid with a paint scraper back into the paint can. Set the lid aside.

3

Squeeze several drops from a paint tint tube into the latex paint. Write down how many drops of paint you use. You can mix multiple primary colors to obtain specialty colors. Record how many drops of each color you use. Stir with a stir stick until the color is completely mixed.

4

Paint a small section of an exterior wall. Leave the paint to dry. Check the dried paint color to verify it is the color you desire. If not, darken by adding more drops of the paint tint, or lighten the color by adding more white paint. Write down how many more drops you put into the paint. Test paint another small section of the wall and leave it to dry. Continue testing the paint this way until you achieve the correct color.

5

Use your formula for the tint to mix as many gallons as needed in individual gallon cans -- up to five gallons at a time. Mix each gallon thoroughly.

6

Pour all the gallons of paint into a single 5-gallon bucket and stir them all together. This is necessary to achieve one solid uniform color. Once mixed, your paint is ready to use. Seal the paint container for storing to keep the paint from drying out.

Things You Will Need

Paint can opener tool

Paint tint tubes

Paint scraper

Stirring stick

Paintbrush

5-gallon bucket with lid

Tip

Mix enough paint to achieve as many coats as needed before starting your painting project. Typically, at least two coats of paint are applied.

One full tube of paint tint is typically designed to tint one gallon of latex paint to the tubes designated color.

When lightening the paint color, only add white paint with a matching finish to the original paint. For example only mix satin finish with more satin finish.

When using leftover paint to achieve the desired color you can take the stirring stick used to mix the colors to a paint store to have the color matched for additional projects.

About the Author

Based in southern Virginia, Kristy Robinson has been writing for various websites since 2008. Her work focuses on tutorials and self-help articles. Robinson holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from American InterContinental University.

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